


last year's priorities

by xenosaurus



Category: Persona 5, Persona Series
Genre: Established Relationship, Long-Distance Relationship, M/M, Texting, Valentine's Day
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-03-14
Updated: 2019-03-14
Packaged: 2019-11-18 03:54:32
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,268
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/18112766
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/xenosaurus/pseuds/xenosaurus
Summary: Ryuji:holy shit I forgot it was valentines dayAkira:Seriously?  You were so sulky last year.





	last year's priorities

**Author's Note:**

> look I know this is an entire month late, but I'm pretending I did that intentionally to coincide with white day. please pretend to believe me.
> 
> a big thank you to benny for betaing!!

Ryuji’s phone buzzes while he’s washing his face. Even half asleep, he immediately breaks into a grin. Only one person texts him this early in the morning.

`**Akira:** 26 days!`

Akira’s message is accompanied by a selfie, already fully dressed for school. He got new glasses a few weeks back, having finally given up on contacts as too annoying. The new frames are much flashier than the ones he wore during his probation, vaguely reminiscent of his Joker mask. Ryuji _really_ likes them. It’s actually a little embarrassing how much he likes them.

Granted, glasses or no glasses, Akira’s face always makes Ryuji’s chest squeeze a little. 

`**Ryuji:** 26 days too many`

`**Ryuji:** hurry up and graduate already, I miss you`

`**Akira:** Working on it, so far the principal refuses to accept ‘my boyfriend is lonely’ as a reason to reschedule.`

`**Ryuji:** what an asshole`

`**Akira:** I miss you too, by the way.`

`**Akira:** It feels like forever since I’ve seen you.`

`**Akira:** Hint, hint.`

`**Ryuji:** I can’t tell if you’re angling for a visit or a selfie, dude`

`**Akira:** I’m biased towards visit, but I’ll take a selfie if that’s what’s on offer.`

Ryuji laughs to himself and opens his front camera. He really needs to fix his bleach job, but he’s sorta been putting it off until Akira’s around. Akira helped last time and did a much better job than Ryuji can do himself.

He gives the camera an exaggerated grin and takes the picture.

`**Akira:** Beautiful. Authentic. Artistry beyond Yusuke’s wildest imagination.`

`**Akira:** I’m making this my lockscreen.`

`**Ryuji:** if you’re trying to make me blush it isn’t working`

`**Akira:** Prove it. Second selfie, right now.`

`**Ryuji:** shut up dude`

*

Ryuji gets halfway to school before he remembers that it’s Valentine’s Day. The thieves’ group chat is deep into a debate on whether or not Futaba should commission a famous cosplayer to make a real version of her metaverse goggles, and in their private chat, Akira is giving him a blow by blow of Morgana’s most recent fight with his mother’s cat. It’s plenty to hold his attention, so it takes two girls getting on the train and talking about planned confessions right next to him for him to remember.

He pops over to his chat with Akira.

`**Ryuji:** holy shit I forgot it was valentines day`

`**Akira:** Seriously? You were so sulky last year.`

`**Akira:** You were really mad at Yusuke for some reason.`

`**Akira:** He’s gay, I don’t think getting chocolates from girls really did much for him anyways.`

`**Ryuji:** shut up, dude, you were in the same boat as me last year!`

`**Akira:** Not really. I spent last Valentine’s Day with the person I liked.`

`**Ryuji:** no you didn’t you spent last year sitting at the singles table with me`

`**Ryuji:** wait`

`**Akira:** ♡ ♡ ♡ `

`**Ryuji:** ugh I must have come off like such an asshole`

`**Ryuji:** didn’t I give you some stupid chocolate I got as a free gift with my cup ramen`

`**Akira:** You did, it was horrible. ♡`

`**Akira:** Still, it made me happy to spend time with you, shitty chocolate or no.`

`**Ryuji:** come on, you don’t have to lie`

`**Ryuji:** I know I was being an ass`

`**Akira:** Well, maybe I like you when you’re being an ass.`

`**Akira:** I like you all the time.`

`**Ryuji:** dude`

`**Ryuji:** are you trying to make me blush again??`

`**Ryuji:** because this time it’s working and I’m in public`

`**Akira:** Says the guy who threw “I think my place is next to you” at me in a ramen shop.`

`**Akira:** Forget blushing, that nearly made me cry.`

`**Akira:** I love you so much.`

Ryuji’s face flushes hot and his heart does something violent in his chest. He must be making quite the face, because the gossiping girls are now staring at him instead. He doesn’t even _care_.

`**Ryuji:** god fuck long distance`

`**Ryuji:** I want to kiss you so bad right now`

`**Akira:** Just a few more weeks, then I’ll kiss you so much you’ll be totally sick of it.`

`**Ryuji:** since when do I get sick of making out with you???`

`**Akira:** Usually when you want to stop kissing and fool around instead.`

`**Ryuji:** ok that doesn't count`

`**Ryuji:** also shut up`

`**Akira:** (*¯ ³¯*) ~♡`

*

Ryuji finds Ann and Futaba standing together by the shoe lockers, and, really, that should have been his first clue. Futaba avoids the busiest parts of the school, so they usually find a much less central location to hang out until class starts.

Still, he just got done having an embarrassingly sappy conversation with his boyfriend, so maybe he’s not thinking things through right now.

“Morning,” Ryuji says, just before he notices the borderline terrifying way Futaba is grinning at him. “What?”

“Oh, nothing,” Futaba singsongs. Ann elbows her.

“What, did Ann confess to somebody?” Ryuji asks, catching the mischief in the air. Ann turns a bit red but rolls her eyes.

“Don’t be stupid. Come on, get your shoes on, we’re going to be late,” Ann says, although she’s paying more attention to her phone than to Ryuji.

“Yeah, yeah, I missed the first train,” Ryuji complains, putting in the combination to open his shoe locker.

There is something other than his shoes waiting for him.

A box of chocolates has been placed inside, lovingly cushioned with white tissue paper. The box itself is glossy black, rectangular rather than heart shaped, and closed with red satin ribbon. There’s a note tied into the ribbon-- or, rather, a calling card.

_♡ You have stolen my heart ♡_

Ryuji stares at it for a long moment. Finally he looks up, and stares, dumbfounded, at the girls instead. Futaba instantly starts laughing, and Ann isn’t far behind.

“How did-- Akira’s still in the country! We were on video chat last night! How did he-- What?” Ryuji stumbles through, completely baffled.

“He overnighted them to me,” Ann says, grinning.

“And I broke into your locker!” Futaba gives him a thumbs up. “He bribed us with reject chocolates.”

“Why did you have to break into my-- wait. Wait, reject chocolates? These are homemade?”

Ryuji turns back to the box, stares at it for a long second, then lunges for it. He should probably be more careful with the ribbon, but goddammit, these are his first real Valentine’s Day chocolates and he wants to see what Akira made him.

It’s like something out of an anime, heart-molded milk chocolates with drizzles of red and white on top. They’re a little bit uneven, which adds an incredible amount of that handmade charm.

“Holy shit!” he says, the words turning into a disbelieving laugh towards the end. “These are the real deal!”

“You don’t have to yell about it,” Futaba says, eyeing the people whose attention he’s attracting. A couple of girls are giggling and whispering amongst themselves, and the guys are watching with barely concealed jealousy.

“You know Akira is going to love the yelling,” Ann says, exasperated. It’s at this point that Ryuji notices she’s holding up her phone.

“Are you-- are you filming this?”

*

`**Akira:** Having that smile on tape is going to get me through all of life’s hardships.`

`**Akira:** Totally worth all the required bribery.`

`**Ryuji:** DUDE`

`**Ryuji:** this is the best!!!!`

`**Ryuji:** I didn’t even know you were getting me something!!!`

`**Akira:** You seemed so down last year. I wanted to make sure you had a good Valentine’s Day.`

`**Ryuji:** holy shit you’re the best boyfriend`

`**Ryuji:** I’m going to spoil the hell out of you for white day, just wait!!`

`**Akira:** Not if I spoil you first. ♡`

`**Ryuji:** you already did!!!`

**Author's Note:**

> my tumblr is @[xenosaurus](http://xenosaurus.tumblr.com)


End file.
